1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a directional control valve for use with industrial machines operated by fluid pressure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With small-sized directional control valves of known types, one valve casing generally contains one each valve mechanism. To mount a plurality of directional control valves on a base or the like, therefore, a corresponding number of mounting bolts and receiving tapped holes in the base have been required.
The size of such conventional directional control valves has been difficult to reduce beyond a certain limit because each valve must have a large enough casing to provide one or more mounting holes therein. It has also been difficult to reduce the size of their mounting bases since appropriate intervals must be left between the individual valve casings mounted thereon.
Miniaturization of such directional control valves can be achieved to a certain extent by juxtaposing a plurality of valve mechanisms in one valve casing, thereby reducing the space for the mounting holes that have conventionally been required by each valve and also the intervals between the individual valve mechanisms. Even then, valve mechanisms cannot be placed too close to each other for avoiding leakage of hydraulic fluid flowing therebetween.